Sex. Love. Life.

Telling it how it is

Trade Sexual Health is a health charity working with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGB&T) communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (United Kingdom).

What we do.

All about Trade

Trade Sexual Health is a health charity working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGB&T) community of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

We offer a range of free and confidential support and advice services around sexual health and HIV information; one-to-one emotional and practical support; support in 'coming out', sexuality and relationships; rapid HIV testing; community based men’s sexual health clinics; safer-sex packs for men and women; and a fully qualified counselling service.

Support.

Keeping you up-to-date

There are a whole host of of support organisations specifically for the LGB&T community within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Within this section we aim to give you an idea of what services are available for a range of differing needs. We try to update this on a regular basis, however if there is a service you know of that isn't listed, or one you cannot find please contact the Trade office on 0116 254 1747.

Professionals.

Get the facts

Welcome to Trade’s section for professionals working in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGB&T) health, or for those Healthcare professionals who just want to widen their knowledge base. In this section there will be resources, links and information covering a wide range of topics from healthcare to transphobia/homophobia and schools to safer-sex as well as Trade’s bespoke training packages, which could help your organisation become more LGB&T aware.

Sex & drugs

Know the score...

A big difference between how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people use drugs compared to straight people is that we’re much more likely to use them during sex.

What drugs can add to sex

Drugs, including alcohol, can make us feel more sexually confident or sexier in general -- using steroids to build an impressive body is an example. They can improve our sexual performance and give us added stamina for longer sex sessions, where you don't need to stop for food or sleep as much. Some have an aphrodisiac quality (they make us horny), others can become so linked in our minds with sex that we feel more ‘up for it’ just by taking them.

Drugs and risky sex

How drugs loosen our control has its downsides. We may decide to do things we wouldn’t do if sober, including high risk acts like unprotected anal or vaginal sex. Although some of us might blame drink and drugs for ‘making’ us have unsafe sex, it’s often a case that they make it easier for us do what we wanted to all along. But plenty of people manage to keep to their safer sex limits despite being off their faces. If we need to take HIV medications, being ‘out of it’ can mean we forget to take our pills or not take them how and when we should, which risks our treatment failing.

Keeping yourself up-to-date with how drugs can effect your health and sex life can help you stay in control of the risks, and help you chose the types of sex you want.